How Can Students Help?

 On Tuesday, August 8, we were traveling to Las Vegas to visit our son and grandsons. We took the red-eye, and when we met up with them for breakfast on Wednesday, our son asked if we heard about the fire in Lahaina. “It’s really bad,”  he said. “People were jumping in the ocean to get away from the flames.” It was difficult to believe. The TV was on in the restaurant, and we watched in disbelief. These past few days have been difficult as the number of fatalities keep rising and the photos and videos show a town that has been devastated and destroyed. In an island community like ours, people are all connected, and it’s hard not to know someone who has been impacted by the fire.

I remember the trips we took to Lahaina to watch the boys play tennis years ago. I remember the trip Randy and I took back in 2006, walking through the town and seeing the iconic banyan tree . I remember our trip to Maui in 2017 and our walk through historic Lahaina town (read my blog here). Most of the landmarks I recall are now gone. 

Randy and I visited the museum and the courthouse on our last visit to Lahaina. So many artifacts and historical pieces were lost in the fire. 

We were discussing this tragic occurrence with our grandsons. What caused it? Could it have been prevented? How has climate change impacted our world, and how can we prevent another Lahaina fire, not just here in Hawai`i, but in other parts of the world? I recall visiting Maui a few months ago and seeing so much land that is now vacant once the sugar and pineapple companies left the island. What other ways can we use that agricultural land? We are the most isolated land mass on Earth, and we need to learn from this tragedy as Lahaina is rebuilt.

I recall the students at our school making a difference for others - 3rd graders doing chores around their home and collecting funds for the Red Cross after Hurricane Sandy; 3rd and 5th graders collecting items for homeless shelters; 1st graders spearheading a school-wide school supplies drive for students at a school in Houston after Hurricanes Harvey. These are just a few of the projects our students were involved in to show empathy for others who had or were experiencing major challenges in their life. 

Students learned about “wants and needs” via this project to help students their age who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. 

Hawai`i residents are already donating goods and opening up their hearts and their wallets to the people of Lahaina who are and will continue to be impacted by this tragic fire. As an educator and a former principal, I hope that schools from around Hawai`i and the country will see this as an opportunity to have students ask questions, come up with ideas, and to make a difference for Lahaina. Four schools have been impacted by the fire (Hawaii News Now report) and King Kamehameha III Elementary School was completely destroyed. I remember seeing the school on my last visit to Lahaina. The school has and will continue to have a long and honored history (Read about the school’s history here.). This is truly a school that has the support of its community. 

I often share this Native America quote: “We don’t inherit this world from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” Our young people are much more aware of the problems we face in our world today. They will be the problem-finders and creative problem-solvers we need to make this world a better place for all of us. Schools can be where students can become passionate and active learners to truly make a difference in our world. They should be asking questions, searching for answers, discussing, collaborating, sharing, and gaining the skills they need to be contributing members of our society. 

That’s what school could be. Let’s work together to make school relevant in this changing world. 

My Request to Teachers

Recently, I had the opportunity to share my message at an intermediate school here in Hawai`i. The title of my presentation was “Educating with Aloha,” a reference to my book where I describe aloha as “love, compassion, empathy, and respect.” I shared the slide below and talked about how important it is to build positive relationships - teacher with students and students with other students - from the first day of school. We talked about how important a safe and trusting environment is where all students feel that they  belong. Finally, I encouraged teachers to get to know their students’ strengths, interests, and talents and to work with them from a strengths-based lens rather than a deficit-based one. Teachers then shared strategies they use to build community and a sense of belonging in their classrooms from day 1.

 I know things are tough and many teachers have left or are leaving the profession. Those of us who have committed our professional lives to educating and working with young people have, I believe, a responsibility to mentor and collaborate with other teachers to ensure that our students have the best educational opportunities to impact their future.

According to a recent study, teacher responses indicate that “meaningful work” and “colleagues” were the top two reasons to stay in the profession. Those of us who spent many years as educators realize the positive impact we can have on our students and how we can make a difference in their lives. What could be more meaningful than having a positive impact on our young people and helping them to realize what they can do to make a difference in the lives of others? 

A recent study indicated that only 10% of educators would strongly recommend the profession to a young adult. I realize that there are many reasons for this including compensation, work load, and insufficient support staff. However, our world depends on educating our young people. I am very concerned about the future of education when teachers don’t see the profession favorably. 

 I shared this slide during my presentation.

I changed one word (in red) in my previous slide. What works for our students in their classrooms - positive relationships, a safe community, a sense of belonging, and honoring the strengths and interests of the staff - should also be applied to teachers in their school. Good ideas become great when teachers collaborate to create lessons or projects to meet the needs of their students. New teachers to the profession or the school should be welcomed for what they can offer, and veteran teachers could be their “marigold,” someone to go to with a question or just to chat after the day is over. And just because the teacher is brand-new doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer. I know that many experienced teachers relied on younger teachers when the pandemic hit and schools went virtual. These veteran teachers learned of the many online resources available and became more comfortable teaching via Zoom or another virtual meeting site. 

Back in 2019 in our pre-COVID 19 world, I wrote this blog (Will Teachers Become Obsolete?). In this challenging post-COVID world, I am very concerned about the number of teachers leaving the profession or how young adults are discouraged from becoming teachers. This is why I encourage all teachers in a school to commit to  building positive relationships and a caring community of support where everyone feels they belong and can contribute. 

Here is my request to teachers. At the end of the day, reflect on something positive that happened. It could be something that doesn’t seem like much to someone else, but it means a lot to you. Maybe a student spoke up in class for the first time. Maybe that challenging student thanked you for caring. Maybe a lesson went exceptionally well and the students didn’t want to stop for lunch. Then go and share it with someone - another teacher, the student’s parent, a counselor, your principal. Imagine if every teacher did this at the end of the day. We would realize that there are so many positive things we could share and celebrate! Of course, we know that there will be problems as well, but if we can focus on the positive first, we may realize that the challenges are less challenging.

Our children are our world’s most precious resource. We need teachers who will advocate for their students and for the profession. Our children deserve it!